System and method to enhance in-flight controlled rest for flight crew

A system to enhance in-flight controlled rest for a flight crew, comprising:

• a pilot user interface configured to receive first user input and, upon receipt of the first user input, to supply a first inhibit signal;
• a co-pilot user interface configured to receive second user input and, upon receipt of the user input, to supply a second inhibit signal;
• and
• a flight crew monitoring system in operable communication with the pilot user interface and the co-pilot user interface, the flight crew monitoring system comprising:
• one or more pilot sensors configured to supply pilot physiologic and activity data associated with the pilot;
• one or more co-pilot sensors configured to supply co-pilot physiological and activity data associated with the co-pilot;
• and
• a processor coupled to receive the pilot physiologic and activity data and the co-pilot physiological and activity data and configured to:
• (i) determine a pilot rest quality whenever the first inhibit signal is supplied,
• (ii) determine a co-pilot rest quality whenever the second inhibit signal is supplied,
• (iii) determine a pilot fatigue state whenever the first inhibit signal is not supplied,
• (iv) determine a co-pilot fatigue state whenever the second inhibit signal is not supplied
• (v) selectively generate one or more alerts for the pilot and the co-pilot based on the determined pilot fatigue state and the determined co-pilot fatigue state, respectively,
• (vi) inhibit generating the one or more alerts for the pilot upon receipt of the first inhibit signal,
• (vii) inhibit generating the one or more alerts for the co-pilot upon receipt of the second inhibit signal, and
• (viii) upon receipt of the first inhibit signal or the second inhibit signal, generate and store data indicating a time of day and a duration that the one or more alerts for the pilot or co-pilot, respectively, were inhibited.

A method to enhance in-flight controlled rest for a flight crew, comprising the steps of:

• supplying, in response to first user input to a pilot user interface, a first inhibit signal;
• supplying, in response to a second user input to a co-pilot user interface, a second inhibit signal;
• and
• in a flight crew monitoring system:
• determining a physiological state of both a pilot and a co-pilot;
• selectively generating one or more alerts for the pilot and/or the co-pilot based on the determined physiological state;
• inhibiting the one or more alerts for the pilot upon receipt of the first inhibit signal;
• inhibiting the one or more alerts for the co-pilot upon receipt of the second inhibit signal;
• and
• upon receipt of the first inhibit signal or the second inhibit signal, generating and storing data indicating a time of day and a duration that the one or more alerts for the pilot or co-pilot, respectively, were inhibited.